


In Private

by ProgramasaurusRex



Category: Silicon Valley (TV)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-11
Updated: 2017-11-11
Packaged: 2019-01-31 22:21:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12691344
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ProgramasaurusRex/pseuds/ProgramasaurusRex
Summary: Gilfoyle helps.





	In Private

**Author's Note:**

> Come on guys, where did all the D/G shippers go?

Gilfoyle sat down on the heating vent behind Dinesh.

"You've been quiet today," he said. "What's up?"

Dinesh turned his chair around slowly, a hollowness to his face.

"Can I speak to you in private?" he asked, an uncharacteristic humility in his voice.

Surprised, Gilfoyle agreed and followed Dinesh to his bedroom, sensing that something unusual was going on with his friend.

Dinesh sat down on the bed, while Gilfoyle took Dinesh's computer chair.

"Look, you're probably going to find some way to use this information against me," he said. "But fuck, I need to tell someone."

"And you chose me?" Gilfoyle asked.

"I mean, you always seem to find out what I'm up to anyway," said Dinesh. "And you won't freeze up and be all awkward like Richard, or say a bunch of fake stuff to make me feel better like Jared."

"You could tell no one," Gilfoyle pointed out. "That's usually my policy."

Dinesh looked down. "I'm afraid if I don't talk to someone about this, I'm going to lose my shit in front of the whole house. I figure I've lost my shit in front of you enough times that one more won't matter."

Gilfoyle noted his ragged breathing, naked eyes and fidgeting fingertips. Instinctively, he got up and sat down next to Dinesh on the bed.

"Sounds serious," he said gently.

Dinesh looked away from him. 

Gilfoyle waited a moment for him to start. When it looked like he wasn't going to, Gilfoyle touched him softly on the elbow.

"Whatever it is," he said. "I won't..."

He let the implication hang. Another silence passed. Gilfoyle had almost given up on getting a response.

"My mother died last night," Dinesh said.

Gilfoyle was stunned into a loss for words. Unconsciously, he started preparing dumb race-based insults about women throwing themselves on funeral pyres. But when he glanced over at Dinesh, his shoulders and arms were twitching, feet tapping, face filled with unmasked misery. And Gilfoyle could not bring himself to add more.

"Shit," said Gilfoyle.

He touched Dinesh's shoulder. They didn't have the right shared vocabulary to talk about this. But Dinesh's body reacted oddly to his touch. It was as if he was trying to suppress a sneeze. Except Gilfoyle knew it wasn't a sneeze. Dinesh closed his eyes, turned sideways away from Gilfoyle, and pulled up his knees onto the bed.

"Go ahead," Gilfoyle said, feeling as if someone else was speaking for him. 

He scooted himself parallel to Dinesh so that their feet faced the pillow. Then, he pulled Dinesh into himself. Dinesh didn't resist. Having Gilfoyle's verbal and physical permission to melt down seemed to have unlocked something inside him.

Gilfoyle wrapped both arms around Dinesh and told him. "You're doing what you're supposed to do."

He felt a few tears drip onto his shoulder and reacted by pulling Dinesh tighter.

"That's it," he said, rubbing. He heard sniffling. "That's right."

Dinesh kept sobbing for a minute. Gilfoyle waited, stroking Dinesh's back. He knew the hard part was coming.

When Dinesh was finished, Gilfoyle asked, "So you were pretty close to your mom?"

"No," said Dinesh, wiping his eyes on his sleeve. "I wasn't ... I wasn't a good son. I wasn't a good Muslim, or successful. I didn't check in on my parents much. And now I'll never ..."

He started crying again.

"It's okay," said Gilfoyle. "I know."

Dinesh grabbed a tissue from the nightstand and blew his nose.

"I feel guilty," he said.

"No reason you should," said Gilfoyle. "When's the funeral?"

"I don't know yet," he said. "It's in Cleveland I assume. I'll have to talk to Richard and Jared about ... "

"They'll understand," said Gilfoyle.

Dinesh said,"It's ... Thanks. You're a good friend."

Gilfoyle snorted.


End file.
